NZ Tech Podcast

New Zealand's aerospace sector is gaining momentum, and the recent Aerospace Summit in Christchurch brought together the people helping drive that growth. In this first of two episodes series, Paul Spain sits down with founders, investors and industry leaders, to explore the innovation emerging from New Zealand's aerospace ecosystem. From advanced aviation technologies and aerospace engineering to...

Host Paul Spain and Craig Young (TUANZ) to discuss TUANZ’s role as an independent voice for technology users, including its priorities for responsible AI, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, and long-term technology planning. They also explore how AI-powered scams are getting faster, sharper, and harder to spot, and unpack sophisticated phishing and cloned voiced scams. Plus the latest tech news inc...

On this episode, Paul Spain talks with Sacha Judd, co-founder and COO of Lume Music, to explore her journey from corporate lawyer and startup investor to launching a new digital music platform designed to help artists connect more deeply with fans. They discuss New Zealand's startup ecosystem, lessons from working with more than 100 startups, the challenges of building a tech company, internet cul...

Drummond Reed , a global leader in digital identity, privacy, and online trust joins host Paul Spain , as they unpack how self-sovereign identity gives individuals control over digital credentials, why privacy concerns remain central to government-led identity systems, and what approaches in Bhutan, India, Utah, and the European Union reveal about the future of digital identity. Drummond Reed also...

Host Paul Spain sits down with Peter Boyle (Exaba) as they discuss how Exaba is helping managed service providers build their own local clouds using commodity hardware, keeping data under local control while turning infrastructure costs into new revenue opportunities and building a successful deep-tech company from Hamilton. They also discuss the latest tech news including: Labour’s AI Regulation...

Join Paul Spain as he speaks with Dr Autumn Krauss, Chief Scientist at SAP’s Future of Work Research Lab, about how AI is transforming jobs, management, career development, and workforce planning. Discover why 57% of employees would consider an AI manager, what skills will matter most in the future, and how organisations can redesign work for greater impact, innovation, and human potential. Specia...

How prepared is New Zealand for the next wave of artificial intelligence? Paul Spain speaks with OpenAI's Gawesha Weeratunga about the rapid shift from chatbots to AI agents, why New Zealand is emerging as a global leader in AI adoption, and what organisations must do to stay competitive. They explore productivity gains, cybersecurity, governance, workforce impacts, and the growing divide between...

Professor Alexandra Andhov joins Paul Spain to explore the biggest questions facing AI today. From copyright lawsuits and social media harms to privacy, digital sovereignty and New Zealand's AI future, Alexandra explains why smarter regulation could fuel innovation while protecting people, businesses and society. Plus the latest tech news including: • 2degrees Completes AST SpaceMobile Satellite C...

Listen in as Paul sits down with Kevin Park, co-founder and CEO of Concord Visa, to explore how the Kiwi startup is helping fast-growing companies access global talent, expand into new markets, and scale internationally with fewer barriers. Kevin shares lessons from building a truly global business from New Zealand, the importance of hiring the right people, and what it takes to grow at startup sp...

Join host Paul Spain as he chats with Matt Taylor, Kiwi founder of Trepo, an AI-powered startup revolutionising the kitchen. Discover Matt’s journey from tinkering in New Zealand to working at Nuro and Tesla in Silicon Valley, and hear how he’s tackling food waste and kitchen chaos with smart hardware and software. Gain insights on true Silicon Valley grit, building hardware, rapid startup growth,...

Paul Spain sits down with Rory Birkbeck, co-founder of Safe Surfer , to explore the urgent challenges of keeping young people safe online. Hear about Safe Surfer’s journey from startup to scale-up, their pioneering tech for families, and a partnership with Samsung for kid-safe devices. Discover eye-opening statistics on online harm, the complexities of digital safety, and why transparency and inno...

Hear from Paul Spain and Nyssa Waters, founder and CEO of Possibl.ai and RCRT, as they discuss the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption, touching on privacy, ethics, and data sovereignty. Nyssa Waters shares her own journey of launching Possibl.ai and RCRT, offering insider perspectives on how businesses can harness AI for innovation and growth. Plus, the latest in tech news including: Rock...

Host Paul Spain sits down with Scott McLiver, partner and Chief AI Officer at PwC New Zealand, to explore how artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming business. Scott shares insights from his frontline experience helping organisations adapt to AI, emphasising the importance of leadership, practical adoption strategies, and upskilling teams to unlock real productivity gains. Plus, the latest...

Host Paul Spain is joined by Josh Robb, Co-Founder and COO of Tend Health, for an in-depth look at how Tend Health is transforming primary healthcare in New Zealand through digital innovation, AI-powered clinical tools, and the challenges and opportunities of integrating traditional medical centres into a modern, connected care network. Paul and Josh also explore the latest tech news, including: •...

Join host Paul Spain and Neeharika Chowdhary, General Manager of AI and Data Products at One New Zealand. Neeharika shares insights from the recently released 2026 AI Trust Report and discusses how AI is being deployed at scale to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and accelerate innovation. Discover how One NZ is approaching AI adoption, building trust, and unlocking new opportu...

Host Paul Spain is joined by Ben Rose, Head of Financial Services at AA New Zealand. Together they discuss lessons from Money20/20 Bangkok, the rise of agentic commerce, stablecoins, digital finance and how AI is transforming financial services. They also delve into the latest tech news including: Google Maps' new Māori pronunciation update Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) v14 arrives in New Zealand...

In this episode, host Paul Spain chats with Alain Richardt, founder of Atomic Tessellator. Learn about Alain’s unconventional journey from global tech consultancy to bootstrapping world-class innovation from his living room and discover how this Kiwi deep tech startup is using AI and physics-based simulation to design new materials at the atomic level, before they are physically created. Plus, the...

Join Paul Spain and JD Trask (Raygun & Autohive) as they dive deep into the future of AI, SaaS businesses, and the evolution innovation. Discover JD Trask’s journey from founding Raygun to launching Autohive, hands-on insights from adopting AI across teams, and candid commentary on innovation, risk, security, and growth in a rapidly changing tech landscape. Essential listening for anyone passi...

Host Paul Spain is joined by Glenn Maiden , Chief Security Officer at Fortinet and Director of Threat Intelligence Operations at FortiGuard Labs , Australia and New Zealand. Glenn brings invaluable insights into today’s rapidly evolving digital threat landscape with practical advice for organisations of all sizes on how to bolster cyber defences against current and future threats. Paul and Glenn a...

Host Paul Spain sits down with Jonathan Good, Co-Founder and CEO of Scentian Bio, to dive into the "digitisation of smell and taste “and what it means for industries in New Zealand and beyond. Jonathan shares about the realities of fundraising both locally and abroad, and the challenges and opportunities of bringing cutting-edge chemical sensing technology to market. Plus, Paul and Jonathan explor...

Host Paul Spain is joined by Sam Allen and Nick Walton , co-founders of NZ Boat Register , to explore how Kiwi innovation is improving marine visibility and asset tracking using AquaGPS, a Starlink-enabled GPS solution. The conversation also covers the latest in tech news, including: Game changing Nvidia chip coming to Windows laptops and PCs MSD Welfare decisions moving to AI Automated Decision-M...

The 2026 NZ Hi-Tech Awards highlight a sector reaching new heights in innovation, global growth, and impact, celebrating the organisations and individuals driving New Zealand’s tech success story. In this special episode, host Paul Spain speaks with several of this year’s standout winners. Hear from Dr Yoram Benit, CEO of Tait Communications, named NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year, and Matty Blomfie...

Join Host Paul Spain and Bill Bennett, tech and telecommunications journalist, for a wide-ranging discussion on the latest tech news from New Zealand and beyond, including: Car-sharing startup Mevo goes into liquidation Rural connectivity funding report Mobile Network Outages and Resiliency Hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in New Zealand Chrome’s Silent AI Download AI backlash at US university graduation...

Paul Spain visits Mike Casey at Electric Cherries in Central Otago for an inspiring dive into tech-driven sustainable farming. Discover how Mike went from tech startup success in Sydney to building New Zealand’s first fully electric cherry orchard, where self-generated solar power slashes costs and future-proofs the business. Explore practical insights on electrification, energy economics, and why...

Host Paul Spain is joined by Cam Richardson, founder of Paysquad, to dive into the latest in tech news and innovation. They discuss Amazon scrapping its West Auckland data centre plans, the expansion of AI-powered infrastructure in Invercargill, EV charging with ChargeNet, movie deal for a Kiwi-led Roblox game, Apple’s Vision Pro headset future and data security concerns around Chinese EVs. Plus,...